The Cherry Eikon came with the original chassis. Heirloom quality wood headphones crafted in the USA. I especially enjoyed the description of ZMF's company setup. This allows you to pick out each instrument easier due to space and a lack of any spikes (except sub bass). For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Unlike most headphones, the bass of the Eikon doesn't stand out aside from the subbass emphasis. ZMF Headphones is a small headphone company based out of Chicago Illinois. Aeolus is the latest stroke of genius from the Chicago-based ZMF manufacture. Really. If your wallet permits have both. Our headphones do not come off an assembly line. However, the Eikon is a step up above all three of those in build quality. Surprisingly, their tonality actually follow the same lines: a bass emphasis, into linear but amazing mids, followed by smooth treble. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Then the mids, especially the vocals, are crisp and intimate. The background is blacker. This cognitive dissonance is not paramount to life’s existence but if you are reading this review you know the privileged audio dissonance I am talking about. It is more of an intellectual experience. The width of the stage is narrow by comparisons sake to the other two. I have a small workshop and each set is made to order, … ZMF Headphones is a small headphone company based out of Chicago Illinois. Even Bevin can be found occasionally hand-twisting the high-purity copper wire. Unlike other dynamics, it also has a speed to it that is normally not matched by other headphones. The difference lies in how far they go with it. I stumbled upon ZMF through my incessant reading of threads on Head-fi. These are the easiest types of reviews to write, where you really don’t have much in the way of negative news to report. Please read the full multi-headphone review here: Great review Aornic, keep up the good work, your video reviews are also very good, been subbed to your channel since last year. ZMF. The comfort of headphones during extended sessions was missed. The owner of ZMF headphones, Zach Mehrbach, is…a really nice guy. Unlike most of Zach's other headphones, the rest of the mid-range is not thick at all. This will be a review of the ZMF Eikon and Atticus. The Eikon has better imaging and as mentioned before more space between the instruments (1 inch vs 1 cm). I purchased both Headphones. One such company – ZMF headphones have been producing premium wood-crafted heirlooms which have charmed the audiophile community for the best part of five years. The Atticus goes all the way and boosts the bass and lowers the treble, making more a downward slope. The only thing I noticed, casually, was how relaxed and unbelievably transparent they were. Eikon features a custom made fifty millimeter biocellulose diaphragm driver. I purchased the Eikon used (Cherry Wood) in order to get my feet wet. I sold my other headphones that I was rarely using due to lack of intimacy. One genre of music that its superb with- Jazz. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Smoothness to it that I didn’t get from the other two. It is not for those that want instruments to jump out at them. The Eikon has faster transients hence less warmth. There is almost no added color. Many thanks for putting the time in this. I preferred the intimacy and visceral feeling of IEMs. With the Atticus the individual instruments do not need to be searched out. The Atticus is warmer but seems to have better detail than Eikon. Maintaining the integrity of a small custom shop, and the tech of a high end audio boutique, ZMF makes headphones to satisfy all sensibilities. For IEM people the Eikon reminds me of the Noble Katana. Check us out: www.zmfheadphones.com Usually the mids and up being recessed. There's nothing really much to this headphone: It is just fantastic. The best things I can say about the treble is that it is well extended, incredibly clear, smooth, and has a bit of energy. Audiophiles often search for a "neutral" sound when, in practice, warmth is what is most pleasurable, desirable, and lifelike. I find the mids the be the most similar of anything. Honestly, they're both just as good as the other. ZMF uses a variety of wood finishes that are chosen to bring out the natural color and wood-grain from each billet. It doesn't have weird tuning choices! The instruments come to you rather than with the Eikon you need to go to the instruments. BUT, each one has added color and added life. I cannot reiterate enough the mind-boggling specialness of the Atticus. Prices and a plethora of information can be found at zmfheadphones.com. Capable of being the most neutral of the three but still engaging. But when pushing it in no valleys were created. Combine that with the speed of the driver, the Eikon gains an incredibly sense of attack to the end of each note. If you want a long-term relationship without ups and downs then the Eikon is your choice. The new chassis can be purchased for $150. Because, as everything else in this hobby, everything comes down to what you want to hear, not what others want you to. Because of that, the Eikon is hard to describe in detail other than "what is there is excellent.". Nothing about their sound attracted my attention. One genre of music that it’s superb with- Electronica. However, it doesn't try to stand out. Mids are slightly recessed and becomes apparent when you listen to the quality of the bass and treble. Because there is only a touch of warmth, the Eikon doesn't become over-bloated from a warm OTL amp either. Each one is a unique piece of art. I am enamored by sub bass. Time for the review a lot of you have been waiting for: The ZMF Eikon. Each one feels like a heirloom that you pass down from generation to generation. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. In fact, the air of this headphone shattered my expectations of a closed headphone. If you cannot have both then chose based on the genre of music you listen to most. They are comfortable (perhaps a bit heavy, but not overly so) look great, and sound even better. Everyone is in agreement with it and both headphones can be perched by your bedside ready for listening sessions depending on your mood! Your Stax comparison would been different, If you would have used a much better amplifier like KGSSHV. There is one little beautiful blip of color added to the Eikon. The Speed: While doing critical listening, the Eikon is always faster, if just barely. The Solar and Atticus find your hippocampus before you find them. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. ZMF Headphones is a small headphone company based out of Chicago Illinois. In hopes most likely of me going away. The soundstage, overall, is bigger than the majority of closed-back headphones (including the TH900.) Much like the Omni, Vibro and Blackwood before it, the Eikon uses wood cups that provide a gorgeous aesthetic while keeping the handmade feel one comes to expect form the ZMF brand. Not in an annoying way. ZMF Headphones creates exceptional wooden headphones that have gained world-wide acclaim. Imagine a yardstick which is 36 inches. Yes, there are more exciting dreams to have. This section is for those who fell down the tube rabbit hole just like me! https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/zm...ull-size-headphone.21977/reviews#review-20048. Mainly because that would be one more thing I would obsess on. The owner of ZMF headphones, Zach Mehrbach, is…a really nice guy. Now that is odd. I spent three months intensely listening to the two of them and taking notes as I listened. They were always responsive and appropriate with my odd requests. The woodwork is of the highest quality. I will copy my blurb about ZMF Headphones from my Verite review, as nothing has changed on that front. I found this to be such a stand out area of the headphone. Not really but there are the differences. All rights reserved. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. However, the more neutral and linear sound of the Eikon, especially in the treble, allows it to exceed in making the microdetail more apparent. Starting with updating my two-channel system, then getting into closed back headphones, then open back headphones, then IEMs (still hyper psychotically focused), then back to open and closed headphones. "Yesterday, I got to meet Zach at the Chicago head-fi meet. Fatigue with these headphones is nonexistent. Other areas of hyper focus over the years have been Fountain Pens, watches, roasting and perfecting trying to pull the best shot possible, tennis racquets (I also obsessed on playing tennis and basketball), duck hunting jackets (I do not hunt), languages, and in general how things work and function. I gave up on closed and open back headphones two years ago once I discovered IEMs. GREAT review! Review: ZMF Aeolus - Ultimate Chill Headphones - Headphonesty That was some great writing in your review. Much like the HE-6, in fact. The bass of the Eikon is best described (and I'm stealing this from a friend) as "integrated." The Eikon, on the other hand, is smoother and leans more towards the neutral side, giving you the music as it should be while adding only a drop of color into it. The Atticus, however, is too thick at times and you can miss the smaller details if you aren't paying attention for them. Originally, ZMF made elaborate modifications with wooden cups to headphones like the … I love how it responds to tubes… Tubes can really manipulate how this headphone sounds. I don't care what is said about them in the media. Mid bass, cm vs. inches, spikes of bass and treble, and special timbre of certain instruments. However, as time went on, the differences between the two became less obvious over time. If I didn’t like it then I would turn around and sell it at a loss of shipping cost and PayPal fees. We sipped brandy and discussed a two-year internship I would start under his tutelage. This TPE driver is big surprise, and the Atticus may be quite underrated in this area. Separation is below the Vérité and above the Aeolus. Although I have only had correspondence with him via email, he comes across as incredibly helpful, supportive, and proud of his work. I get hyper focused on certain unique things. It delivers a rich, but very clean punch, silky highs and wonderfully "melty" mids. It is the same paragraph, as they use the same kind of frame to build off of.]. I almost exclusively used Tidal Red Book music as my source. Thanks. Very useful information. Schiit Gungnir DAC with 5th generation USB. Like the other ZMF headphones, the Auteur is made in Lyons, near Chicago, Illinois. Loving two things that are the same but different and having to choose which one to keep can be a heart wrenching problem. My preferences lean just slightly warmer than neutral. 'enjoyed reading it a lot. They are, however, incredibly fast and shine with complex pieces of music. I liked the new chassis the Cocobolo Atticus came with so I ordered the newer chassis for the Eikon and installed it myself. I switched to Qobuz for a bit but they do not have a family plan yet and my family was drawing up papers to disown me if I did not switch back to Tidal family plan. The lower mids of the Eikon are a pretty special thing. The other headphones were less responsive by comparatives sake. The new one is lighter, has better ergonomics, looks better (I think), and has a better weight balance. Sparkle where there needs to be, without being sharp. But if you are still reading this you understand. Very informative and balanced review. The low distortion and extension lead to something that is quite...neutral and unexpected from both Zach and a biocellulose driver. With the Atticus the 36 inch frequency graph was pushed in to make 36 cm (14.2 inches). https://www.stereophile.com/content...amp-palmer-power-station-battery-power-supply, https://www.head-fi.org/members/bunnynamedcraig.401250/, https://www.head-fi.org/threads/2359glenn-studio.600110/. ZMF headphones are widely regarded I will also discuss which headphone works best for me with which genre of music and also with which musicians. We are currently seeking a new team member to join our production crew! Also, I want to understand the sound of the headphone and IEM without knowing what a frequency graph tells me how it should sound. I then read everything I could about ZMF and purchased an Atticus headphone, number 30 of 30 special edition Cocobolo wood. Eikon has it in a very special way. Honestly, this is the first biocellulose tuning I've ever heard that leaned neutral and not completely weird in some way (like the TH900's...everything but bass, or the Nighthawks weird "we don't want to fatigue you...but you don't get to hear anything else either.) I have a bias toward the Eikon just because I listen to more music that suits the Eikon better. A long-term relationship with Eikon and a fun on the side with Atticus when you need a pick me up. ZMF Headphones is a small headphone company based out of Chicago Illinois. © 2001-2021 Head-Fi.org. Nothing was pushed below the measuring stick. The one with the sliding silver gimbals (the ones that remind me of Shrek’s ears). The seemless transition from the mid-bass into the lower mids adds quite a bit clarity to the bass notes, which helps establish the non-intrusive (but powerful) bass of the Eikon. 233 S Wacker Dr #4400, Chicago, IL 60606 ... Production Assistant ZMF Headphones. Although I have only had correspondence with him via email, he comes across as incredibly … The ZMF Headphones Verite. We are currently seeking a new team member to join our production crew! ZMF Headphones. I do not look at graphs nor do I EQ. Linear, clear, spatial, real, with an added special sub bass. This leads to a powerful sound that doesn't really make itself known until it absolutely needs to. There is a mid-bass thump that can be dominant but in a proper way. Fortunately the sound is there and then some. Ah, the bass. I did have a Schiit Loki for a few weeks. Headphone fiends will certainly know of ZMF but speaker-oriented audiophiles may not be familiar with the brand. But the Eikon is 36 inches in length and the Atticus is 36 cm which translates into 14.2 inches i.e. Great review, really liked the comparison to 007 and HD800, the Vérité combines the strengths of both, while mitigating the tone and weight issues of the former two. ZMF Headphones creates exceptional wooden headphones that have gained world-wide acclaim. The timbre of cymbals for example is unique and special. Our headphones are built by hand in small batches with extreme attention to detail and an absolute requisite for precision. In the audio world such a problem poses comes to light a little too often. One was during super long sessions on my main rig. Everything is there but by pushing it in hills (treble), plateaus (mids), and mountains (mid bass) were created. If you own or plan to own a pair of ZMF cans, you need a Decware amp, no questions asked it is the best combination. Great comparison, enjoyed reading this, plus RTF - Romantic Warrior my #1 fave album, super choice for demo. In fact, it matches quite well with a neutral solid-state or a fun tube amp. I personally love to support smaller enterprises run by passionate individuals. They are actualized individually by our skilled technicians in Chicago, Illinois with unmatched attention to precision and detail. My favorite artists I prefer listening to with Eikon. Now imagine a stick that is 36 cm in length. I also ended up getting a one off Pheasantwood Auteur for long sessions on my main rig. If you are a fan of his work, you will like the Auteur. ZMF Headphones are heirloom quality wood headphones crafted in the USA. The acoustic guitar plucking is right there in front of you with a timbre I have not experienced before. Just like his closed "blood brother" Atticus, he goes to work with significantly more "smack" than Auteur and Verité. Atticus has more defined contrast between the instruments. To top it off, the transients of this headphone are among the fastest I've ever heard out of any headphone out there. He said, "Herb, see if you like these." It is big and bombastic in everything it does. Zach uses a combination of a pad wrapped around the headband and a strip of leather for comfort, which keeps the weight distributed nicely on your head. At age 9 one of my areas of focus was coin collecting. Chicago headphone builder ZMF Headphones was in attendance with a nice booth. Truly a jack of all trades music wise, making it the easiest to mate to any genre you throw at it. a long frequency graph vs. a short frequency graph with all frequencies entailed within both. Really. Production Assistant at ZMF Headphones Michigan State University View profile View profile badges Tone seems to be warm and slightly dark to my ears. The owner of ZMF headphones, Zach Mehrbach, is…a really nice guy. Beautiful mids because of it. Throw in the treble that is also a bit forward but is not fatiguing. The following comes in the Eikon package: 1X ZMF Eikon Biocellulose Dynamic Driver Headphone, Smooth sound, fantastic and textured bass, linear mids, great speed and imagery. There are slight variances which make each product unique. Reaching over for a headphone was missed. I like that you can tell it was done by hand and not a machine punching it out. Most mid bass quantity of all three. That said, the detail and imagery alone make up for this difference. Here I am today writing about it in depth in order to help others have a better understanding of the differences. JavaScript is disabled. You are using an out of date browser. The Atticus aims for a huge presence. Due to this clarity, the imaging is quite spectacular. Now that is the frequency graph of the Atticus. This could be a rare moment in life when it is allowed to have two relationships at the same time. That would be the sub bass. With tubes I am trying to do a “natural” EQ of sorts to try and pull them forward a bit for my own tastes. Each one has 36 measuring points from the highs to the lows. ZMF Headphones, fine closed back audiophile headphones with deep and extended sound. However, the Eikon is slightly better extended in this area, while the Atticus recesses it a bit to keep the overall sound leaning towards an overall dark sound (but not overly so.). Imagine the length of the measuring stick to be the Eikon frequency graph. The main difference comes down to this: what is your perference? This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. With Verité and Auteur, he rounds off the open portfolio downwards (mind you, only in terms of price). I want to know the HP and IEM as it was intended to be heard and not how I want to EQ it. The Eikon, however, tries to keep it as even as it can. And when it does make itself known, it has a distortion free and well-texture quality to it. However, during casual listening, the difference was drastically harder to notice. Overall, this headphone is a smooth, powerful, detailed, quick, revealing black-backgrounded son of a bitch. My preference leaned heavily towards the Atticus, while I knew that the Eikon was just better technically. All rights reserved. You are using an out of date browser. They even sent me a shirt. It is deep, powerful, and detailed. The pads also nice and thick with foam that keeps the headphone from feeling like it has a large clamp around your ears. My reference chain of gear consists of: Arcam CD Player -> Yggdrasil A2 -> ZDS -> Auteur / Atticus / HD800S / HD6x0 family. No instrument takes center stage. JavaScript is disabled. Personally, I'm getting a Paduak Atticus, as I'd rather have a colored sound with almost all the technicalities of the Eikon. Cossor 53ku- “Its slightly warmer than the GEC U52, offering a little more bass body and punch and more warmth while maintaining good speed and PRaT. Bass raised over the treble and mids. The goose bumps they provide at times when it all comes together is very addicting. I am someone who gets intense areas of focus. Based in Chicago and headed by Zach Mehrbach, each headphone is made to order and meticulously crafted to … I know a lot of people who are thinking the opposite, however. The Eikon is more analytical. I will in my humble subjective opinion tell you what I see as the similarities and differences. 2.1K likes. ZMF Headphones is a small headphone company based out of Chicago Illinois. Since this headphone is entirely designed by ZMF, it no longer uses the stock Fostex head-band. This was my first time hearing any of his headphones and I have to say I quite liked both Atticus and Eikon. One such company—ZMF Headphones—have been producing premium wood-crafted heirlooms that have charmed the audiophile community for the best part of five years.